Just a little update on my progress, currently working on finals, but I do have a new build poking around...

(What's that? An art update? A new enemy perhaps?...)

Hey there happymonster! I remember you from pixelation, cool to see you're working on a game.
I really like X-Com, so I'll be looking forward to this. Good luck with the project!

[This is mostly true. At first I was trying to use the arrow keys to move around, but afterwards I got the game mechanics pretty quick.]

I think one of the problems is is that I don't have enough choices to make. I don't feel like I'm in control at all, if I move up or down away from enemies, they just follow me and my situation doesn't change at all. The best I can do is sometimes (maybe) go into a dead end to make it so that only one enemy can engage me at once. The recent update of being able to go into enemy squares gives another dimension of choice, but the game needs more.
Without the option of choice, the game feels unfair, like it's railroading you.

I also don't feel addicted. (I'd read that article if you haven't already, I found it very interesting.)
Let's compare your game's addictiveness to Bejeweled:

1. The game is simple to understand; two clicks and you're in. This is mostly true. At first I was trying to use the arrow keys to move around, but afterwards I got the game mechanics pretty quick.
 2. The game presents a clear problem with a clear solution (make rows of 3+ jewels). Yes, the clear solution is to defeat the enemies? and reach the goal.
 3. The results of action frequently create cascading consequences. If you do something stupid, you lose health for that level. The only way this doesn't apply is because your health resets every level.
 3a. These cascading consequences have an element of randomness / unpredictability / intermittent reward. This doesn't exist in your game at all.

Something I would do to try to make the game addictive is to add random health drops off of monsters, then make it so that your health remains continuous throughout the game.
(This is just off of my analysis though, not particularly out of opinion.)

Sound effects will definitely make it more immersive. I can totally imagine what it would sound like, I just think it could really use a quick implementation of it.

I like the game! Here's some detailed opinion though:
I can't decide whether I like not being able to sit in place or not, it makes the game a bit more strategic however. (Which I assume was the intent)
The gameplay feels really lacking. There's nothing to do other than hit things, and the only difference between the enemies is what they do when they die. This leads to the game feeling like a puzzle game of what order should you kill the enemies to win - was that the goal?
I like the art style, and the pixel art is pretty well done.
I didn't quite feel engaged.
I think the game could really use some simple sound effects at some point. (Shouldn't be too hard to make, yea?)
This teleporter thing decided it was a bridge.

The option to move into an enemy's square when you defeat them is a really interesting implementation and adds a little more depth, and makes some levels way easier.
I like it.

[SWARM DESCENT]

SWARM DESCENT






Swarm Descent is a fast paced arena space shooter.
The game itself is only 4 MB to download, and there's no installation. Once you start the exe it throws you straight into the game.
Easy.

IT'S A DEVLOG!
Direct download for newest version.

_______________

There's only a slight explaination of the controls/mechanics in the game, so here's some more detail for those who want it:

• Your ship has an energy level, which is critical to the game.
  
  • You lose energy for getting shot.
  • You gain energy for killing enemies.
  • Energy is lost over time.
  • If your energy reaches zero, you lose.
• WASD or Arrow keys move your ship around.
• Left-Clicking fires, hold it down for automatic fire.
  
  • Each shot consumes energy.
• Pressing space activates Overdrive.
  
  • This increases your rate of fire and speed, as well as making you invincible to enemy fire.
  • Being in Overdrive consumes energy almsot ten times as fast as normal.

I'm working on it all by my lonesome in Multimedia Fusion 2, having made everything but the music, which I got off of my copy of FL Studio. (I couldn't make good music to save my life, and this just, well, fit.)

Though I'm making this for myself, and I have a view of what I want the game to be, I'm still looking for ideas to get me to where I want to go.
That's why I live off of feedback.

If you want specifics, I could really use some general opinions on the gameplay, and some bug/performance reports.


NOTE: I am making this in MMF2, so any changes anyone might suggest will be pretty damn easy to implement - so don't be shy. For example, if someone suggested adding a cost to entering Overdrive so that you couldn't tap it to block shots, I could do that in about five seconds so we could try it out. I'm not afraid to try new things, and I'm completely open to suggestions.

Hey there, I'm CrazyMLC. I'm still in High School here in the states but I love video games.
My house is overflowing with them - we have over four hundred, even as old as from the NES era. Given this, games have had a huge influence on my life.
I've always loved making art and the whole concept of games. However, I've never really learned to program. Multimedia Fusion fixed that problem for me, and I've been trying to make games since I discovered it.
I haven't made anything of real note yet but I'm hoping to change that eventually.